Printers known in the document reproduction arts apply a marking material, such as ink or toner, onto a sheet of paper. To print something on an object that has a non-negligible depth such as a coffee cup, bottle, and the like, typically a label is printed and the printed label is applied to the surface of the object. However, in some manufacturing and production environments, it is desirable to print directly on the object itself but this poses a diverse set of hurdles which must be overcome before such specialized direct-to-object print systems become more widely accepted in commerce. One such hurdle is how to ensure that the object being held in the object holder is properly registered so that the printhead can print a mark on the object at a predetermined location. The present invention is directed to a system for ensuring that the object in the object holder is properly registered prior to printing.